Do It Yourself Bath Installation

When it comes to home renovation, doing it yourself (DIY) has two major advantages.  The first and most obvious is a potential cost saving.  The second and less obvious is the tremendous feeling of satisfaction that comes from creating something beautiful with your own hands.  The feeling of pride that comes when one can point to a finished project and say “I did that myself” is unparalleled.

Before we get into specific ideas for DIY bath installation, note the word “potential” when it comes to the cost advantage of doing it yourself.  Regardless of whether you choose to do the entire project yourself or only selected parts, it will involve a significant investment of your own time and will extend the time it takes to complete the job.  A professional contractor working full days will be done much more quickly than will a homeowner, working weekends and a few hours a night.

If the time you are investing in a DIY project is keeping you from other income producing endeavors, you may actually be losing money!

The extent of your involvement will depend on your own skills and the scope of the project.  One area that is suitable for anyone who is capable of using a wrench and a hammer is demolition.  For larger projects you will probably be removing the existing walls and flooring and this is something anyone can do.

If your project involves installing a new toilet, sink, and light fixtures; all these are things you can remove and dispose of on your own.  While you can find articles spread out around the Internet which will help, a much better idea is to buy or borrow a book on bathroom installation.  Better books include diagrams of how fixtures are installed and how they should be removed.  A book at your side is more functional than running back and forth to your desktop or searching for web sites on your laptop while you are working.

Removing a toilet should be a simple matter of removing nuts from bolts.  However, these can become rusted over time so a can of spray lubricant should be readily at hand.  In some stubborn cases, cutting may be necessary and investing in an inexpensive rotary cutting tool is far preferable than struggling with a hacksaw.

For electrical fixtures, make sure you have turned off the power and then remove the fixture.  Pay attention to how the wires are connected and mark them with colored electrical tape if needed so you will know which goes where when it comes time to install the new fixture.  Cap the exposed wires if you are not installing a new fixture immediately.

Removing a bathtub can be a major task, especially if it is an older cast iron model.  Tubs were originally installed when walls were open so they will almost always need to be cut at least in half for removal.  If your DIY efforts are limited to demolition only, this may be something you want to leave for the contractors as the kinds of cutting tools and special blades they have readily available will make short work of the job.

In summary, if you have the time, the tools, and the skills, there are few DIY projects you can’t handle.  Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so starting your career as a DIY expert is better begun with demolition efforts and small projects.  Over time if you stick with it you can grow into an expert.  It’s all about believing you can do it!